Comedy legend John Cleese on creativity, flying cars and 5G world records: Day 4 of GITEX Technology Week

Day four of the 40^th edition of GITEX Technology Week, the only major technology event to go live in 2020, saw world-famous actor and comedian John Cleese give his take on creativity, while Dezso Molnar, founder of the world’s first Flying Car Racing League discussed his vision for the future of mobility.

A lifetime of creativity: implementing creativity in your business
World-famous actor, screenwriter and producer John Cleese graced the GITEX Future Stars 10X stage today where he shared his personal strategies for enabling creative thinking.

Cleese, who has repeatedly reinvented the comedy genre and bridged generations from noteworthy sitcoms and films such as ‘Monty Python’, ‘Fawlty Towers’ and ‘A Fish Called Wanda’, said: “When are you driven, ticking things off your list and constantly looking at your watch won’t allow you to have creative thoughts. Create a sacred space where you are not interrupted, lock yourself within the boundaries of time. Don’t think about your cat, or why your knee is hurting.

“When I get these thoughts, I write them on a sticky note, and put them aside, that way they go away. When ideas become clearer and when they are examined, then you can be critical and see whether they will fly and or not – don’t let your critical mind in too soon. The way we imagine things is neglected. Our heads are full of nonsense and trivia – our mind is like a chattering monkey.”

World’s first Flying Car Racing League to thrust technology forward
Dezso Molnar, inventor, pilot and founder of the world’s first flying car racing league, inspired the GITEX audience to never stop innovating. Molnar, who at 19 helped build the first privately funded rocket ship for Truax Engineering, one the first companies in private space travel said, “What we hope to do is not to solve the traffic problem. We want to be able to avoid it by flying around it. We want the ability to fly into a congested area and then drive out of it.”

Seeking to advance the evolution of personal mobility and promoting lightweight vehicles to reduce the impact of global travel, Molnar added that for many a flying car remains an abstract concept. A mix between a flying motorcycle and a flying car, Molnar is developing more of a “gyrocopter”.

Etisalat achieves ‘world’s fastest’ 5G download speed, flaunts future of mobility at GITEX
Etisalat has achieved the world’s fastest 5G download speed of 9.1 Gigabits per second.

The throughput has been achieved by aggregating multiple commercial spectrum band of n78(3.5GHz), n41(2.6GHz) and millimetre wave n258(26 GHz). This was accomplished through a prototype 5G device that aggregates all three bands.

Saeed Al Zarouni, Senior Vice President, Mobile Network, Etisalat, said: “Today’s landmark announcement is a result of Etisalat’s efforts in building a robust 5G network, and 9.1 Gbps is truly a huge leap forward in the 5G era to offer a speed 30 times faster than a 4G average throughput. This will have a significant and profound change on individuals, industries, society and the economy, transforming how we live and work.”

At its GITEX stand, Etisalat is showcasing the all-electric, highly automated and fully connected BMW Vision iNEXT, and BMW Vision DC Roadster, a futuristic electric motorcycle and major step into the full-size electric two-wheel segment. Etisalat has also partnered with BMW to provide the eSIM platform, connecting wirelessly with ConnectedDrive vehicles, providing customers an enhanced driving experience.

Taking off from Etisalat’s stand is the taxi SA-1, an electric flying taxi developed by Hyundai with Uber. This fully electric car flies a distance up to 60 miles at an altitude of 1,000 to 2,000 feet

Ankabut partners with Huawei for cloud and software-defined data centre expansion project
Ankabut, the UAE’s Advanced National Research and Education Network offering academic institutions connectivity to other education networks around the world, will be working with Huawei to expand one of the leading education clouds in the UAE and the Middle East. The two organisations signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) during GITEX Technology Week 2020 outlining their future cooperation.

The partnership confirms Huawei as Ankabut’s long-term cloud solution provider and strategic technology partner, taking full advantage of the company’s end-to-end ICT technology. Earlier last year, Ankabut selected Huawei as a partner to build the new education cloud platform and software defined data centre. With phase one of the cloud established, the two organisations will now work together to expand the existing footprint using Huawei Cloud Stack Solution and software defined data centre, in turn strengthening the UAE’s position as a leader in educational services and accelerating digital transformation. The extended software-defined data centre will enable Ankabut to provide innovative services to educators in the UAE and across the region.

David Shi, President of Enterprise Business Group, Huawei Middle East, said, “Ankabut has been a forerunner in adopting the most advanced ICT solutions and services, and today plays a key role in improving academic institutions’ services. Huawei is proud to extend our cooperation with Ankabut and expand the cloud and software-defined data centre we have worked together on previously. It is our pleasure to support Ankabut in achieving its vision while enabling the digital transformation journey of the UAE’s education sector.”

Avaya broadcasts to over 150 cities from GITEX stand
Thanks to the advanced infrastructure of GITEX, as well as the right environment needed to deliver a hybrid experience, Avaya broadcasted live from its stand to more than 150 cities across the world, showing its customers and partners the Avaya technologies on its stand. This enabled Avaya’s customers and partners who were not able to travel due to the circumstances, to still experience GITEX.

Over the course of the event, Avaya made strategic announcements with its customers and partners set to transform customer and employee experiences in key vertical segments. Avaya announced a partnership with Pakistan Telecommunications Company (PTCL) on QTaleem, a new digital education platform launching in Pakistan. The company also launched a multi-year customer experience transformation journey with Gulf Bank, a leading bank in Kuwait, and revealed a project with The American Hospital Dubai, which is improving and personalising patient experiences through digital contact centre services provided by Avaya. Finally, building on the GITEX 2019 launch of their partnership, Avaya and Batelco announced stellar growth in the delivery of cloud-based contact centre and unified communications in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Nidal Abou-Ltaif, President, Avaya International, said, “GITEX 2020 has been a landmark event on the UAE’s calendar, and at Avaya, we are proud of the role that we played in bringing the focus back to the future. Our presence at GITEX 2020 was marked by the start of new relationships, enhancements to existing partnerships, and delivering innovation that touches the lives of organisations and individuals across the region and the world. The timing couldn’t be better – the UAE is positioning itself as the ‘Work from Anywhere’ destination, and Smart Dubai’s ‘Future of Work’ study found that employees no longer expect to be tied to fixed locations. This ties-in to our own outlook towards the new world of work, which will be guiding our innovation, our relationships, and our relevance for the future.”